Justin Williams interview
Here's the interview with Justin Williams. As you'll see below, the Kings also posted many of the quotes with Williams' interviews last night, so I tried to ask some different questions today and you can read all of the quotes here...
Question: After getting to hang around last night and this morning, are things starting to settle in a little bit?
WILLIAMS: ``I don't think I'll be settled and happy until I get out there and play. Yeah, I feel part of the team and everyone has welcomed me, but I'm not going to realistically feel at home until I start contributing. I'm just trying to get the lay of the land and get to know the guys, because I don't know anybody.''
Question: Obviously it was only one game, and a pretty wild game at that, but what were your impressions from watching the team last night?
WILLIAMS: ``I watched the game from above, and I was studying the media guide and just trying to get to know what type of player everybody is. It's going to take a couple games, and probably a lot longer than that, to really get a feel for everyone. But when I do get into the lineup, I want to know the players that I'm playing with as much as I can. The game was exciting, definitely exciting. I know that the guys haven't really had a problem coming back this year. They've had quite a few games where they have been down a couple goals late and come back and won. I think that's very promising, because it's such a young team. When you have confidence and don't get upset when you're down a couple goals, it's fine. Being young and having no worries and having that confidence that you can come back, no matter what the score is, that's really positive and that showed last night.''
Question: You mentioned this being a young team. Not a lot of guys here have even been to the playoffs. You've won a Stanley Cup. What do they need to know about what it takes to crack that level?
WILLIAMS: ``Well, I'm not downsizing the Stanley Cup win and the playoffs, but everybody is eventually going to get there. This team is, if not this year than definitely next year. It's really close. I'm not going to act like this old veteran who knows everything, because I don't. I've been to the playoffs a couple times and I was fortunate enough to play on a real good team and be a part of something real special. That's something that I want to bring here, but the guys here are more than capable of carrying themselves throughout the playoffs. I'm going to help, maybe when we do get there, just as a calming factor, as someone who has been there before.''
Question: How is the knee strength at this point. Are you 100 percent there?
WILLIAMS: ``There are no problems with my health, other than my finger. I'm just waiting to get out there. It's frustrating to come to a new team and not be able to contribute right away. They go out for practice today and I'm in the weight room, so that's frustrating, but it's something that should be over soon.''
Question: Terry talked about getting you out there just to skate a little bit. Is that something you might do soon?
WILLIAMS: ``Yeah. I'm going to see the hand doctor in about an hour and a half here, and he will make a plan for me, of what we're going to do. But yeah, I'm definitely going to get back on the ice as soon as possible.''
There are many more quotes from Justin Williams below, or you can click here.
(Re: Being traded to the Kings): "I think whenever anyone is traded it's highly unlikely that they knew about it beforehand, and that was the case for me. I was definitely shocked, especially because I was on the injured reserve list. I really didn't expect it, but these things happen and they come as a shock and most of the time they work out for the best."
(Re: Status of his hand injury): "I just met with the Kings' doctors here and got an X-ray. I'll see a specialist tomorrow and then from there we'll make a decision on what the game plan is going to be. It will be three weeks this weekend, and broken bone time tables are pretty set at four to six weeks recovery. I'm hoping to get back as soon as I can and help the team. I'll be starting to skate soon, and I'm definitely sick of the stationary bike. There are always ways around injuries for keeping yourself in shape, but albeit there's nothing like skating, there's nothing like game play. You can just simulate as best you can. But I'm excited and ready to get back out there. Unfortunately it's going to take a little bit of time but it won't be long before I'm back out there."
(Re: Williams' past injuries): "I feel things happen in three's and I've had three straight injuries after some pretty good runs. I'm looking to getting back to being healthy and I know I'm not far away from doing that. When I am, I'm going to be a good asset to this team."
(Re: Familiarity with the Kings' staff): "I think whenever you do come to a new team and you see some familiar faces it makes the adjustment period a lot easier for a new player coming in. Having Ron Hextall pick me up from the airport and being familiar with Dean Lombardi and the management here makes me a lot more comfortable. I don't know as many of the guys as I'd like to, but that will come. I'm excited to be a part of a young team here."
(Re: Playing a 30-goal season): "I've got plenty of those seasons left in me, I'm only 27. My best years are hopefully right ahead of me. The skill is there and I know I'm going to get a great opportunity here to further my career and be successful. I'm going to get an opportunity to play with some really good players with a lot of enthusiasm and that will result in a lot of good play."
(Re: Leadership on the team): "I am 27 years old, and when they told me that I was coming here and I was going to be one of the older guys, I had to take that back a little bit and realize that I am going to be a more of a veteran on this team. I'm going to be one of the older guys with a few more games and a little bit more experience. But I'm just looking to be myself, I'm not looking to be anyone I'm not. I'm very respectful, a very blue-collar guy who you know you're going to get every night. Hopefully that will brush off to some younger guys on the team."
(Re: Playing in the Western Conference): "I think a few years ago the conferences were different, but now they have molded together and they are kind of similar. Where the west seemed like it was wide open, it doesn't seem that way anymore. I'm just really excited to come here and just to see the youthful enthusiasm even though I've only been here a couple of hours. You can just feel it with the guys in the dressing room and I'm excited to be a part of that."
(Re: Traveling on road trips): "I wouldn't worry about it myself, you have teams close now and no one flies commercial anymore. Travel is going to be a little bit longer than what I'm used to, but definitely not something that's going to hinder anyone's performance."
(Re: Style of play): "I bring a hard two-way game. I work as hard in the offensive zone as I do in the defensive zone. We have a lot of players that are similar to that affect. I'm a guy who has scored 30 goals in a season a couple of times and I know I can get there again. I'm going to work hard and contribute offensively. I'm going to be, I guess, an older guy in the dressing room for a little bit of leadership, which to me is going to be a change but it is something I'm going to welcome."
(Re: Being traded to LA): "I just got here a couple of hours ago. It's a whirlwind 24 hours when you get traded. You get told, you get shipped out, you come over here and it's not exactly a 45-minute flight--it's cross-country. I'm in a hotel now and we'll see how the rest of the season plays out here. I'm looking to set some roots and be here for a while. I've actually worked out and trained here in Los Angeles for two summers about three of four years ago [with Chelios' group] so I'm kind of familiar with the area. Coming to a team that is on such an uphill climb in that they are really going places, and things are looking in the right direction and everything seems so positive, that's what made me excited. Being familiar with everyone here and knowing that I have an opportunity myself to be a part of that, that's what I'm most excited about, that I'll be relied upon and part of hopefully a core of this team that stays together for a while."
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J.P. Hoornstra writes about NHL and IHL hockey for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. He welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
E-mail J.P. at jp.hoornstra@inlandnewspapers.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews
.com.
Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
@dailynews.com.
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Sounds great Justin, just don't get hurt, please score a lot of goals, and back check. Thanks!
I refuse to support him until he gets a decent haircut.
Here is an article all about POS and JW - very in depth from www.hockeytalk.biz
http://hockeytalk.biz/bernstein.htm
Great interview Rich! You pretty much touched all the bases that I wanted to hear about. Hopefully J-Dub has a speedy recovery and shows us what he's got soon!
Ohhhh, J-dub is J.W. is Justin Williams! I kept thinking people were talking about JJ aka JMFJ/J-squared, you know, like...double-J? Very confusing. We've got DD, DD2 (Drewiske), J-dub. I think I'll start calling JJ/JMFJ Dub-J just to make it all so much more clear. J-Dub and Dub-J, Drew-D (Doughty) and D-Drew (DREW-iske), Fro, Ko, Mo, Sto, Q1 and Q2, Greene and Brown... are there any other name themes I'm missing?
time will tell how things shake out on the ice, but i gotta say, from a character standpoint and an intelligence standpoint, we gained a huge asset on this team.
not to put sully down, but this guy is clearly a smart, mature person and will help immensely in the locker room. i'm very excited about this pickup. he is what i look for in a captain.
Wouldn't that be 'J-dubya'?
It's weird, how so many people were up in arms about this deal; I just don't understand it. If you've seen Justin play, you are thrilled about the deal -- he's a top-line winger in this league, and will be for years to come. If you've never seen him play (or have seen him only occasionally), well...you shouldn't flap your yapper just yet. That's why I don't understand the uproar. Dean made a terrific hockey deal, and anyone (including the pundits who are worth their salt) who knows the game, knows this to be true.
Sure, Sully's a great player; could even turn out to be a really great player. MAYBE. Williams IS a really great player, and the style of game he plays couldn't be more fitting for what we're doing here. I'm SO happy about this deal, I think Dean did the right thing, and I'm sure he plans to add a Heatley or a Hossa during the off-season. Imagine our lineup, with one more true sniper like that, in addition to maybe one additional "tough, grinding, 20-goal"-type for the third line. It's going to be sick. We will be in the elite, starting as soon as next season. Add Teubert to the D corps, and you have plenty of toughness & grit, along with a ton of skill guys. This team is just about ready to compete on a yearly basis, and this deal helps a great deal in that regard. Hopefully they let Boyle play his game next year, and stop trying to turn him into a checking force. He plays hard, but when he's given the freedom to make things happen offensively, he does so. Let him go, Terry! Put Boyle between a new guy (20-goals, forechecker, etc.) and maybe Moller -- or another guy with size (but I'm thinking the fourth line with Ivanans/Zeus/Simmonds), and we'll have a ridiculous lineup. Boyle could be a 30-goal guy, with almost no help at all -- if he's given the opportunity to play his game. But I'm rambling...sorry.
Great trade, Dean. Keep up the great work.
T
Nice Article number 6
You guys got to check it out
Here is an article all about POS and JW - very in depth from www.hockeytalk.biz
http://hockeytalk.biz/bernstein.htm
Im still not sold on the trade.... some good points in this article towards the end.
Great stuff as always, thanks
Quisp - I just wanted you to know that on the night of the trade, I popped a cold one and went back to some of your hyper optimistic posts (if we breakdown the season into 13s...) from the beginning of the year. I told the wife that "it's been a rough day, I need a beer and a couple of Quisps". She is still wondering.
@jet
i love it! very funny.
although, too many quisps tends to give me an upset stomach. :)
Jet -
We were right on schedule until that lovely 1-6 run. But it's nothing a 6-1 run can't erase. And hasn't that been the story all year.
p.s. I'm not hyper-optimistic. I've always said from the beginning of the season I thought they would land around 85 points, just a bit out of the playoffs. As for the 13-game chapter analysis... let's sum up:
Here's the original "plan":
first 13 games: 12 pts, .461 (12 pts, .461 total)
second 13: 13 pts, .500 (25 pts, .480)
third 13: 14 pts, .538 (39 pts, .500)
fourth 13: 15 pts, .576 (54 pts, .519)
fifth 13: 16 pts, .615 (70 pts, .538)
sixth 13: 17 pts, .653 (87 pts, .557)
last four games: 6 pts, .750 (93 pts, .567)
Okay, so after the fourth 13, we were, in reality, at 55 points, one point ahead of schedule. And then we come to the fifth "chapter." There's one game left in it. How have we done so far?
3-7-2. Ooh. Not too good. If we win against MIN, we'll be 4-7-2, for 10 points, not the 15 we needed (would have been 16, but we were a point ahead of schedule). So we have to make up those 5 points. However, the 93 point threshold appears to be lower this season, due to hyper-competitiveness within the conference. So, even though we sucked for the last couple of weeks, if you correct for the fact that the number of points needed looks like it will probably be around 90 (or lower), we really only have a couple of points to make up in order to keep "on schedule."
But still, it's a huge uphill climb. Must get hot now. Can't lose more than four games. 14-4.
Hey Tweener Songs, nice work there on the music. Sorry, I know it's off topic on this site but figured no one would mind.
HA!
Number 6, I greatly appreciate that. All old tunes, sadly...and brother, you ain't heard nothin' yet! Working on a new record right now, and it's definitely light years beyond anything we've done in the past (which isn't difficult, i understand that). Big tour schedule as soon as it's done, so hopefully I will meet some of you guys at some point. So long as you don't all despise me by then, for my wicked, wicked posts. Oops, a soft moment! I'd better get back to being the resident jerk. Thanks again for the compliment : )
And to get back on topic:
LET'S GO KINGS!!
T
I like this guy on our team.
Check out some quotes from The News & Observer, a newspaper in Raleigh, NC:
"In a deal that took some by surprise Wednesday, the Canes used a three-way trade involving the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings to obtain Cole. In exchange, Carolina dealt away oft-injured forward Justin Williams, another fan favorite who has been sidelined 33 games this season with a torn Achilles tendon and more recently a broken hand."
"Williams, 27, had 81 goals since the Canes acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2004 and was a big part of the Cup run. He will be remembered for his empty-net goal in the seventh game against the Oilers that clinched the Cup.
"I have a lot of respect for Justin," Rutherford said. "There's some emptiness in my stomach right now, because I have to trade a player like that."
A "fan favorite," and "a big part of the Cup run" and "remembered" for scoring a Cup clincher..."
I'll take my chances on both his finger and the possibility of Sully blossoming somewhere else for that kind of experience.
I've warmed up to this trade.
Sure thing Tweener.... and nice to hear your enthusiasm for what you're doing now. In the arts it's absolutely about evolution. All the best.